Three times Blaine did something for the old lady next door
by practicalamanda
Summary: ...and one time she did something for him. Klaine alternate meeting. Blaine heavy. Written for romcomclassicist on tumblr.


**1.**

Blaine whistled to himself as he shaped the piece of aluminum foil over the batch of cookies he had just plated. They were oatmeal chocolate chip, his specialty, and he was getting ready to bring them over to his brand new neighbor. He had only been in the building for a week at this point, and he figured that it was about time that he made his presence known to his hall mates. As they say, 'you can take the boy out of Ohio, but you can't take the Ohio out of the boy'...or something like that.

Blaine hoped that one day he would be able to put his baking skills to good use to woo a boyfriend, but for now, practice did make perfect. He checked his appearance in the hall mirror he had command hooked to his wall a day or two earlier, straightening his bow tie, flattening his already firmly gelled hair, and slipping his feet into his neatly shined loafers.

He lived in a small nook at the end of the hallway, which meant he only has one neighbor. The door on the other side of his apartment led to the stairs. He knew that living next to the staircase like that wasn't typically ideal, but the slightly lower rent was worth it to him as he was still paying off his student loans, and his teacher's salary could only afford so much.

"One minute!" a female voice came from the other side of the door after Blaine knocked. He heard a bit of shuffling and a tinkle of bells that he assumed belonged to the collar of a pet of some kind before the door opened to reveal an older woman dressed smartly in a sweater set and khakis with a grumpy looking tabby under her arm. "Are you one of those Mormons?" she asked without missing a beat. A small dog with shaggy black hair also came ambling up to the door and sniffed at Blaine's feet.

Blaine's mouth gaped open. Moving to the east village, he had expected his neighbors to be young professionals like him, or maybe the odd NYU students, but this was certainly a surprise. He quickly bounced back though, slapping on the Anderson charm, "no, ma'am," he said with a smile, "my name's Blaine, and I just moved in next door. I thought I would come by and introduce myself," she was still looking him over skeptically, "I made cookies," he added.

She still had an eyebrow raised, but it looked to be mostly out of amusement at this point so Blaine was relieved when she finally smiled back and ushered him inside, "I must say. I've been living in Manhattan for over forty years now and this is the first time I've had a gentleman show up at my apartment with baked goods," she said taking the plate from Blaine and peaking underneath the foil. "It must be my lucky day."

Blaine's cheeks pinked slightly, "I just thought it would be nice to get to know my neighbors, ma'am."

She smiled at him, "Well then have a seat," she said gesturing to her small kitchen table. It was decorated with bright place mats and a bouquet of daisies. Blaine sat down and looked questioningly at the dog who was now walking towards them with his side pressed against the wall.

"He's blind," she said with a chuckle. Blaine turned his confused expression to the woman instead. "the dog," she said, laughing again. "His name is Boots, and my name is Mable," she said kindly, finally reaching out to shake Blaine's. "Tea or coffee, sweetheart?" she asked, using the term of endearment casually, as if they weren't strangers.

Blaine could already tell that he was going to like his surprising neighbor, "Oh um...coffee?" he said tilting his head to the side, "but I don't want to impose."

"If you were imposing, I wouldn't have let you in," she said matter of factly. "I was about to have a mid morning snack, so really you're right on time. I hope you don't mind instant," Blaine nodded that it was fine. "I haven't had a drip coffee maker since my husband passed away," she added.

"Oh, I...I'm sorry," Blaine said, pointing his round earnest eyes at Mable.

"Why? You didn't kill him," she said, turning around and giggling at Blaine's shocked expression. "Loosen up, kid. You're going to have to if you're going to hang around with me," she said, placing a steaming mug in front of the younger man. "My husband was a good man, and I loved him very much, but sometimes it's just time for someone to go. Plus, now I can have as many pets as I like, and I can watch TV after 11 PM. Cheap bastard used to keep the thing on a damn timer!" she said, taking a sip of her own drink, and pulling one of Blaine's cookies onto her plate. "But enough about me. Tell me about the handsome charmer who just knocked on my door," she demanded good naturedly.

Blaine was taken aback by the woman to say the least, but he was also enchanted. He found himself both frightened and enthralled by the bold woman. "Well, um...like I said, my name's Blaine. I moved to the city from Ohio for school and I've been here ever since. I'm a music teacher now, for elementary school," he said proudly.

"You seem like you'd be good with kids," she said, smiling warmly and waiting for him to continue.

"I was living in Brooklyn for a while, but I um...I needed a fresh start so now I'm here!" he said with a shrug.

"Heart break or lousy room mate?" she asked, brushing crumbs off her fingertips, and giving Blaine a pointed look.

"Um...both?" he said, not really sure how to answer. Blaine wasn't typically one to open up easily, but there was something about Mable that he felt he could grow to really trust. "I uh...I was living with my boyfriend...well, ex-boyfriend now. I came home early with his favorite take-out dinner one night and I guess...I guess I should have bought enough for three since there was another guy in our bed with him," he explained bitterly.

Mable gave him a sympathetic look and squeezed his hand, "did you kick him in the nuts?" she asked without a trace of sarcasm in her voice, only grinning when she had the desired result of making Blaine laugh.

"No, no, I just packed a suitcase and left. I stayed with a friend for a while and now I'm here," he said when he finally stopped laughing.

Mable just shrugged, "I would have kicked him in the nuts."

**2.**

"A little to the left...more...up a little...a little more...that's it, perfect!" Mable finally said. Blaine had been trying to hang the same painting in her apartment for the last twenty minutes, and it seemed that he had finally found the perfect placement. "I could have done it myself, but really it's nice to play the old lady card once in a while," she added, leaning back on the couch and taking a sip from her mug.

Blaine rolled his eyes good-naturedly and joined her on the couch with his own mug, "you know I'm always happy to help, Mable," he said politely. Blaine hadn't really known what to make of the women when he first met her, but after a few more afternoon snacks and a dinner that she insisted on cooking for him, he was certain that he had made a valuable friend. The people he knew his age were great, but sometimes he needed the advice and company of someone older and wiser. Not to mention, she told the best dirty jokes this side of broadway (her words not Blaine's).

"So, tell me, how are those kids of yours?" she asked. As a former teacher herself, Mable loved hearing stories about Blaine's students.

"They're great!" he said happily. "Sarah is really improving, and I think that we'll be able to move up a unit in math pretty soon," he said, happily.

Mable laughed fondly, "those kids are lucky to have you," she said, and Blaine smiled at the compliment. "And I'm lucky to have you too because I have at least three more pictures that need to be hung."

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**3.**

Blaine and Mable had been there for each other a lot during that year that Blaine was in his first Manhattan apartment. He could always be counted on to help Mable with the more labor intensive house work and he could always count on her to give the best advice when his student were driving him nuts. They had both come to look forward to having afternoon tea several times a week and the occasional Sunday afternoon stroll in the park.

The fact was that they had grown to rely on each other—for companionship, for a shoulder to lean on, and occasionally for something more serious.

Blaine let himself into her apartment one afternoon. She had left him her spare key as he had promised to feed her pets and water her plants that day as she was taking an overnight trip to the Poconos. He nearly jumped out of his skin when only moments after turning on the lights he could hear Mable's voice coming from behind the couch.

"Well thank goodness you're reliable," she said, "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come."

"Mable?" Blaine said, quickly moving across the room so see what was going on. "Oh my god, what happened?" he exclaimed, quickly kneeling down next to where she was lying on the floor.

"Tripped over the damned rug on my way to the kitchen," she said, losing none of her sass in her current position. "I threw out my back and I've been lying here ever since. The real tragedy is that I'm just out of reach of the remote control," she added.

Blaine was too concerned to laugh at her joke, "I'm so sorry," he said, frantically trying to figure out the best way to at least get her up onto the couch. "What can I do? Will it hurt if I lift you onto the couch?"

"Almost certainly," she said plainly, "but I think the joy of being saved by a handsome young fellow such as yourself might help me forget the pain."

This did make Blaine laugh. Even after all this time, Mable's teasing could still get him to blush and chuckle, "okay well here I go then. I'll try to be as fast as possible, and then I'll call the doctor and see what to do."

Mable nodded as best as she could from the floor and gave Blaine a warm smile. The woman had no grandchildren of her own, but she figured that if she did, it would feel similarly to how she felt about Blaine. She was never more grateful for their friendship as she was in that moment.

It took a few false starts and some gentle maneuvering on Blaine's part, but he finally managed to get her onto the couch. He turned the TV on to one of her favorite courtroom dramas and fixed her a snack before leafing through Mable's phone book for the number of her doctor.

"She said to ice it for an hour and then see if you can increase your movement in slight increments," blaine said a few minutes later once he was off the phone with the doctor. "Then tomorrow she wants you to alternate between hot and cold, and to do some stretching once you feel up to it."

"Guess I'm not making that stir fry I was planning anymore," she said, as Blaine tucked the bag of frozen veggies between her back and the couch cushion.

"You're not going to be cooking anything for a while if I have anything to say about it," Blaine scolded before taking a seat in the arm chair next to the couch. "Get ready to be waited on hand and foot."

Mable rolled her eyes fondly, "I thought you were my knight in shining armor, but it turns out you're just a mother hen," she teased. "But I wouldn't have it any other way," she added.

0000000000

**1.**

"Okay just let me know if your back starts to bother you again at any point," Blaine said for what was probably the thirtieth time that day. They were on their first walk in the park since Mable had hurt herself, and Blaine had only agreed to go with her if she promised to tell him if something was wrong.

"You'll be the first to know," she said, buttoning up her jacket against the early fall breeze. "Enough chatter. These old bones are tired of sitting," she said, looping her arm through Blaine's and almost aggressively leading him onto the path.

It was a beautiful day out, not too hot and not too cold in a way that was only ever achieved during a few short weeks in Spring and Fall. There were tons of people taking advantage of the weather by taking a stroll or a run in the park, and families and couples were spread out around the the grass having picnics and playing games. Blaine let his eyes linger on several groups of people before settling on a particularly enticing image of a young man stretching before taking a run.

"See something you like?" Mable asked, following his line of vision to the person that had caught Blaine's eye, "and my what a sight that is," she added, as usual totally unashamed of expounding on the relative attractiveness of men they encountered.

The man in questions was wearing tight red running shorts and sleeveless top, leaving almost none of his strong, lithe form to the imagination. Blaine tended to look like a sweaty mess when he exercised, but this man was pulling off the work out look with a grace that seemed almost inhuman.

"You should go talk to him," she encouraged.

Blaine had long since gotten over his ex, but had yet to really put himself back on the market. Mable was constantly insisting that he needed to put himself out there more. "I don't...I don't even know if he you know, 'swings my way'," Blaine said, trying to brush off the suggestion as slickly as possible.

Mable gave him an incredulous look, "how many straight men do you know who wear workout clothes like that?" she asked.

He was going to point out that there were plenty of men in his Jazzercise class that wore outfits like that, but quickly realized that it would only serve to further prove Mable's point, "I just...I don't want to interrupt him. He looks like he's in the zone," Blaine tried again. "And besides, what would a guy like that—,"

"If you dare say anything about how a guy like that wouldn't want to date someone like you, I swear to god, won't be the only one with back problems," she cut him off with a severe look.

Blaine sighed, "can we just enjoy our walk? I promise I'll head straight to the gay bar as soon as we're done," he added, hoping that would be the end of it.

"Alright, I know when my suggestion isn't going to be taken," she said raising a hand up in surrender, "You're right. Let's just have a relaxing walk," she said. "But, I am feeling rather thirsty dear, could you maybe pop over to the stand over there and get me a bottle of water?" she asked, pointing towards a hot dog cart a bit ahead of where they were, "here's some cash. You know that doctor said I needed to stay hydrated," she added for effect.

"Oh, yeah of course!" he said immediately, relieved to have the topic of his love life forgotten, at least for the moment.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Mable put her plan into action. She walked a bit closer to where the man was stretching and started clutching her back and moaning in false pain, "oh my goodness, my back!" she exclaimed, doubling over and laying it on as thick as possible to get the man's attention.

It didn't take very long for him to take notice, "Are you okay ma'am?" she heard a high, clear voice ask. The man in question quickly jogged over to her to see what he could do to help.

"The young man I'm with just left to get some water, and my back started acting up again," she said, mock-wincing in pain and rubbing her back, "can you help me get to that bench? I threw it out a few days ago, but I guess I'm not as cured as I thought."

"Of course," the man said, letting Mable lean on him as the moved slowly towards to bench. "I'm Kurt by the way," he said kindly as he helped her settle onto the bench. Is there anything I can get for you? Do you know where your friend went?

As if on cue, Blaine came running back from the hotdog stand, "Mable, what happened?" he asked, he sounded a bit out of breath, and he was clutching two ice cold water bottles. He came rushing back when he heard Mable in distress, but the second he saw the almost imperceptibly smug look on her face and who had helped her to the bench, he knew that he had been tricked.

"I'm fine now, dear. This nice young man helped me to the bench," she said with a twinkle in her eye, "Blaine I'd like you to mean Kurt."

"It's nice to meet you," Kurt said, shaking Blaine's hand and smiling widely. "I'm glad I could be here to help."

Blaine resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Mable, but he had to admit, he was glad to have an in with Kurt. "Well that was a very nice rest. I think I'll be on my way now. I don't want to get too much sun," she said hopping off of the bench as if nothing had happened. "I'll let you two chat without an old lady around."

Before either of the men had a chance to respond she had gathered her purse and headed in the opposite direction.

"Is she...is she always like that?" Kurt asked, extremely confused about what had just happened.

"That's Mable for you," Blaine said resignedly.

Kurt hummed in moderate understanding, "well, um...I was going to go for a jog, but suddenly coffee is sounding really nice right now. I don't suppose you want to...,"

Kurt petered off, hoping that blaine would do the rest, "I would love to have coffee with you," Blaine said, smiling at Kurt and following him out of the park.


End file.
